Ball-retainer for thrust ball-bearings.



B. W. FJELLMML.

BALL RETMNER FOR THRUST BALL BEARINGS.

APPLICATION FILED mm. \0. 1913.

1,199,169. PatentedSept. 26,1916v INVENTOR' WlTNESSEz (fr By Azzomeys,

1% JWWW which the following is a specification, refer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENZGT WIKIOR FJ'ELLMAN, OF GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO S. K. F. BALL BEARING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

BALL-RETAINER FOR THRUST BALL-BEARINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENGT- lVIKTon FJELL- MAN, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident of Gottenborg, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Ball- Retainers for Thrust Ball Bearings, of

ence being had therein to the drawing accompanying and forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to certaln improvements in ball retainers for thrust ball bea-r ings.

It is Well known to those skilled in the art that the balls of an end-thrust ball bearing, 2'. e. the centers of the balls, move in their circular path with an angular velocity which is equal to half that of the revolving shaft. The same is true with regard to the cage or ball retainer. On the other hand, a point on the surface of a ball generally moves with a speed corresponding'to some other angular velocity. Inasmuch as, on account of the centrifugal force, the balls are usually pressed with great power against the outer part of the Cage or, in using bearing rings provided with races, are even clamped between the latter, it appears that a considerable sliding friction easily arises at the said parts, thus causing losses of power. Also, at high speeds of rotation, an injurious heating of the bearing will take place.

The object of the invention is, in part, to remove the said draw-back and to provide a ball retainer of a novel and improved construction, in which the balls are reliably kept in positions relatively to each other and to the bearing surfaces, and in which the friction and wear are reduced to a minimum.

The invention consists, chiefly, in a ball retainer having two parts adapted to rotate relatively to each other, one of said parts, which serves to keep the balls apart from each other, being caused to rotate with the angular velocity of the centers of the balls, while the other part, which is in contact with the balls at the points thereof remote from the axis of the bearing, is free to ro tate with the angular velocity of the said peripheral points of the balls. Preferably, the latter part of the ball retainer is sup ported by the former.

A further advantage of this improved construction of the ball retainer consists in this that the balls pressed by the centrifugal force against the part of said retainer forming the outer support for the balls are caused to move exactly inthe desired path. It is true that also in a cage or retainer having no relatively movable parts, the balls are pressed, during running, against the outer part of the retainer, but, obviously, it is far easier to have a' simple ring made with accurate dimensions than to have the several holes for the balls made in exactly predetermined distances from the axis of the hear-- ing. Thus, a cage or retainer according to this invention may be made far more exactly than a one part retainer.

Furthermore, a cage or retainer according to this invention has the important advantage that the part thereof ,forming the outer support for the balls may very easily be made suiiiciently strong to reliably withstand the pressure of the balls.

In the drawings, I have shown, by way of example, two forms or embodiments of my invention.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of an end-thrust ball bearing provided with the improved ball retainer; Fig. 2 is a similar section of a modified form of the retainer; Fig. 3 is a segmental plan of the balls and upper retainer of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a segmental plan below the upper retainer of Fig. 1. I

Referring first to Fig. 1, the part of the ball retainer serving to keep the balls apart from. each other has the well-known form of two perforated disks or plates a and I) kept by bolts (2 or other suitable means at a predetermined distance from each other. Each ball (Z is placed in two opposite holes of the plates 'c, b so as to protrude thcrethrmigh, as shown at the right of Fig. l. Placed between the two plates (I. and b is a loose ring 7' encircling the series of balls and affording an outer support for the same.

The inner diameter of the ring 7' is such' that the balls are caused to move exactly in the predetermined path. Thus, for instance, the inner diameter of the ring f may be such that the pressure of the race rings A and B on the balls (1 is exactly axial, or, if desired, the said diameter may be such that the pressures of the race rings on the balls have such outwarddirections (away from theaxis of the hearing) that the balls are causetl to run on a conical surface having its apex in the center of the bearing, 2'. c. the point of intersection of the axis ofthe bearing with a plane through the centers of the balls.

in the embodiment of the invention shown in l ig. 2, the part of the cage or retainer serving to keep the halls apart from each other consists of a sheet-meta ring 72., U-shaped in cross-section, and provided at its inwardly projecting flanges with recesses for the halls. Placed. lie-tween the said re ccsseil flanges of the ring it is a loose ring i affording an outer support for the balls. Obviously this ring placed in the outer ring it helore the latter is finally shapeclv.

it will be seen that the cage illustrated in the drawings constitutes a retainer-for holding the balls from individual displacement. The device thus constitutes a selfeoataineci hearing. The ring for resisting the centrifugal displacement of the series of balls or for preventing individual dis ilacement of a nail radially '5 its axis of rcvoiution 'is shown *arried l y the bearing in such a main nor that the entire device is self-contained The annular support the cage members and the balls when. properly asseinbleth may be transported, placeci in position and. removed Without becoming elisassemhlecL The outer ring and the hails are free to perform a relative rolling movement when the halls rotate about axes paraliel to the axis of rotation of the series of balls.

It is to be understood that I (to not limit myself to the particular forms illustrated by way of example, for obviously the invention may he used either in whole or in part and may be carried out in various Ways, without departing from the spirit am'i scope of the invention as hereinafter claimeti.

The surfaces of the rings A and. B of the hearings in contact with the bails need not be formed with races, but, obviousiy said surfaces may be plane, if desired Having thus described my invention, wl at 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Fiat-- cot, is:

1. A ball retainer to? thrust ball bearin s including means for seeping the balls separated from each other, and; .a ring surround ing the halls and rotatable by the halls rela tively to the haii separating means.

A ball retainer for thrust ball bearings F":

including; means "for keeping the halls rated from each other, and a ring SHPTOIHML in he halls anti rotatable by the balls rela- I D tivcly to the ball separating means upomrotation ot the balls upoir axes parallel to the an axis of rotation of the series of balls.

3. A ball retainer for thrust hail. hearings including means supported'hy the balls for keeping same separated from caeh other, and

a ring surrounding the balls and rotatable b the balls relatively to the hall separating means. 4 i

' 41, A ball retainer for thrust hall hearings including means for iieepingthe bails separated from each other, and airing surroumling; the halls and. rotatable by the halis relatwely to the ball separat ng means, said ring being supnortett by the Soul means.-

5. A self-contained hall retainer for thrust ball bearings including means for keeping 7x iereunto so 

